Spinal Cord
The spinal cord carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body.
The spinal cord anatomy is organized into gray matter and white matter. They are distinguishable by the naked eye.
Gray matter mainly consists of nerve cell bodies, interneurons and unmyelinated axons.
It contains motor neurons that transmit impulses to muscles, and transfers sensory impulses for tine touch, proprioception and vibration from peripheral receptors to the brain.
White matter primarily consists of myelinated axon tracts. Its nerve fibers connect different areas of gray matter in the central nervous system.
White matter is named for its relatively pale appearance due to its large amount of myelin, which provides electrical insulation of axons and accelerates signal transmission.
Learn this topic with the interactive diagrams below and put your knowledge into practice with fillable worksheets.
Spinal Cord Segments – Cross-sectional Anatomy
The spinal cord is made up of 31 segments, this tutorial shows some anatomy, cross section and histology images of the segments in interactive way.
Spinal Nerve Roots
The spinal nerve roots are two pairs extend from each segment of the spinal cord which explained beautifully in an illustrated and interactive way.
Spinal Cord White Matter – Anatomy & Functions
Spinal Cord White Matter (Anatomy & Functions); explained beautifully in an illustrated and interactive way.
Spinal Cord Gray Matter Anatomy & Functions
The gray matter is the area of the spinal cord where many types of neurons synapse; explained beautifully in an illustrated and interactive way.
